Earring



April 5, 1960 A. A. LAFLAMME ET AL 2,931,195

EARRING V Filed May 17, 1957 INVENTORS ACH/LLE A. .44FA4MME,

4M5e/c0 pox-v,

ATTOeA/EY'S'.

United States Patent EARRING Achille A. Laflamrne, Cranston, and Americo Pofi, Providence, RI.

Application May 17, 1957, Serial No. 659,792

2 Claims. (Cl. 63-12) This invention relates to jewelery, and more specifically, the present invention pertains to improvements in earrings.

It is one of the primary objects of this invention to provide improved means for pivotally connecting the earwire to the body of the earring.

A further object of this invention is to provide a unique means for pivotally connecting the earwire of an earring to the body of the earring, the means being noncomplex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more manifest from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction With the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an earring constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the earring shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the earring shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the earwire and of its mounting.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, an earring constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. As is seen in the drawing, the earring 10 is formed of a single sheet of relatively thin metallic material and include an arcuate portion 12 the longitudinal extending edges of which are folded inwardly toward each other to form a pair of panels 14, 16 the longitudinally extending adjacent edges of which are disposed in abutting relation. The ring 10 has a split ring configuration and the adjacent ends thereof, 18 and 20, respectively, are open. As is seen in the drawing, the arcuate wall 12 is provided with a slot 22 which extends inwardly from the open end 18.

Means are provided for securing the earring 10 to the ear lobe of the wearer. These means comprise an inverted substantially U-shaped earwire 24 having a bight portion 26 from the end of which depends a pair of laterally spaced arms 28, 30. The lower end of the arm 30 terminates in an outwardly projecting tab 32, and the arm 28 terminates in an eye portion 34 which is loosely mounted on the bight 36 of a substantially U-shaped member '38 forming the pivotal support for the earwire 24.

The support 38 is formed of wire and includes a pair of laterally spaced and substantially parallel side arms 40, 42 which project from the opposite ends, respectlve- 1y, of the bight portion 36. As seen Figures 5 and 6, the arms 40, 42 are bent on radius conforming to the curvature of the panels 14, 16.

The above described earwire 24 and its pivotal mount 38 is connected to the earring 10 by inserting the arms 40, 42 within the opening 18 until the bight 36 and the eye portion 34 have entered therein, the arms 40 and 42 fitting snugly against oppositely disposed sides of the arcuate wall 12. Thereafter, the ends 14', 16' of the panels 14, 16 are inwardly bent to prevent accidental or inadvertent separation of the earwire 24 and its mounting 38 from the ring 10, and the support is substantially entirely concealed.

To engage or disengage the earwire 24 with the ear lobe of the wearer it is only necessary to pivot the wire 24 towards the rear end of the slot 22 until the tab 32 is widthdrawn from the open end 20.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is ofiered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A substantially hollow and tubular earring having a split ring configuration and a pair of open ends, said ring comprising an arcuate wall having its longitudinal marginal edges folded towards each other and forming a pair of separate panels disposed in side-by-side relation, said panels having their respective adjacent edges disposed in abutting relation, means for supporting said ring from the ear lobe of the wearer, said means including a pivotal support for an earwire, said support comprising a substantially U-shaped member having a bight portion from the ends of which project a pair of laterally spaced and substantially parallel arms, said arms being bent in the same direction to conform with the curvature of said earring and fitting snugly against the oppositely disposed sides of said arcuate Wall, said pivotal support being disposed within one of said open ends of said ring and being substantially entirely concealed therein, adjacentv portions of the ends of said panels at the ends thereof disposed immediately adjacent said open end being bent inwardly to abut said bight portion to prevent displacement of said pivotal support outwardly from said open end, an ear wire having an inverted substantially U-shaped configuration and including a bight portion from which depend a pair of arms, one end of one of said last named arms being loosely looped around said bight portion of said pivotal support, and the terminal end of the other of said last named arms terminating in an outwardly projecting tab adapted to be received within the other of said open ends of said ring.

2. An earring as defined in claim 1, wherein said arcuate wall adjacent said first open end is provided with an inwardly extending slot to receive adjacent portions therein of said earwire as said earwire is pivoted towards and away from said other open end of said ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,402. Mason Apr. 9, 1872 245,297 Heckmann Aug. 9, 1881 1,102,645 Cockshaw July 7, 1914 1,139,309 Nesler May 11, 1915 1,289,189 King Dec. 31, 1918 1,485,027 Grunebaum Feb. 26, 1924 1,900,560 Janer Mar. 7, 1933 2,001,483 Bopp May 14, 1935 2,647,379 Ferro Aug. 4, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 179,481 Germany Oct. 19, 1905 

